Brewery will add to Chincoteague's draw, gov. says

Billy Joe Tarr, left, Accomack County supervisor; Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Basil I. Gooden, middle; and Robert Crockett, Accomack County Board of Supervisors chairman, pose with an oversized check for $11,000 at the Island Library on Chincoteague, Virginia on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. The award was presented by the secretary to Accomack County in conjunction with the upcoming opening of the Eastern Shore of Virginia's first craft brewery.(Photo: Staff photo by Carol Vaughn)Buy Photo

Chincoteague's Black Narrows Brewing Company received an $11,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia that will be matched by Accomack County in enterprise zone incentives and local funds when the doors open later this year.

The brewery will invest $350,000 and create five new jobs in Accomack County, according to a press release from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

The grant is based on projected sales and the percentage of Virginia agriculture used to create a product.

Hitting these percentages was not a problem, said Josh Chapman, co-founder and head brewer. For example, the base malts he uses in his brewing process are 100 percent Virginia grown. The company will source about 72 percent of its inputs from Virginia farmers.

A reception was held at the Chincoteague Island Library on Wednesday, Jan. 25 to celebrate the grant award, with members of the county, local partners and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Basil I. Gooden in attendance.

“Through its commitment to sourcing ingredients from Virginia’s agricultural producers, Black Narrows Brewing Company is further supporting Virginia’s growing craft beer supply chain,” Gooden said. “I am pleased the Commonwealth could partner with Accomack County through the AFID Program to support this local business. I applaud the tremendous efforts Black Narrows’ founders Josh and Jenna Chapman have made to connect with the community and work with growers on Virginia’s Eastern Shore to create a unique product that showcases the terroir of this unique region.”

Josh Chapman said the announcement is a good sign of things to come.

"We’ve been saying since before we signed the lease on the building: We’re about family and we’re about locality," said Chapman. "To have this be our first big announcement is a big celebration of collaboration for us."

Josh Chapman displays the label of a bottle of Full As Much Heart, a beer brewed for his daughter. Each year, to celebrate his daughter’s birth, he brews a new batch of beer reflective of her personality during that year of her life. Staff photo Hillary T. Chesson

Josh Chapman pours a glass of Full As Much Heart, a beer brewed for his daughter. Each year, to celebrate his daughter’s birth, he brews a new batch of beer reflective of her personality during that year of her life. Staff photo Hillary T. Chesson

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Jenna and Josh Chapman, along with her parents Bob and Wendy Huntley and sister Katie Branscome, will soon be breaking ground and opening the doors of Black Narrows Brewing Company in the former shucking house of Little Bay Seafood Company.

The opening of the brewery was originally set for fall 2016. Now Black Narrows Brewing Company is gearing up for a 2017 opening with a series of family suppers indicative of a family-friendly ethos.

“What better way to interact with a community that we love than to bring them into a home?” said Chapman.

The first of these dinners took place following the announcement of the grant in the home of Kellen Singleton, a local waterman who is helping the brewery to make the most of the area's natural resources. The brewery debuted several of its test beers, including an oyster sour that it hopes to have on tap year-round. Josh Chapman, who started homebrewing in 2010 before making the leap to full-time professional brewing in 2013, said these brews are expressive of the season and locality.

The next supper will be held in the Chapmans' home on Feb. 12. It's a chance for the community to sign up, show up and get to know one another and learn more about the mission of Black Narrows Brewing Company.

"It refines who we are as a business and who we are as a family," said Chapman.

Payoff

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Black Narrows Brewery will be the Eastern Shore of Virginia's first craft brewery when it opens on Chincoteague. An event was held at the Island Library on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 to announce a grant award.(Photo: Staff photo by Carol Vaughn)

The work connecting has helped create success.

Partnerships with Cutfresh Organics in Wicomico County, Seaside Hops in Machipongo and Perennial Roots in Accomac allow the Chapmans to work closely with local businesses that share their vision and mission, Chapman said.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved the $11,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which Accomack will match with local funds.

"Black Narrows is adding to the tourism offerings that make Accomack County and the Town of Chincoteague a true destination," Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a news release. "Today’s announcement is a great win for Virginia’s craft beer industry and our ongoing efforts to build a new Virginia economy.”